News

CLEVELAND (April 13, 2015) – Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) today released its 2014 Report to the Community, which highlights the ways in which dedicated public funding for arts and culture positively impacts the residents of Cuyahoga County. The Report to the Community is available at cacgrants.org/report.

As the public funder for arts and culture in Cuyahoga County, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture has invested $125 million in more than 300 organizations and made more than 1,200 grants since 2008.

“When this dedicated tax funding was approved by residents in 2006, we promised to put public dollars to work to support enriching arts and culture experiences in every corner of the county,” said Sari Feldman, president of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture’s Board of Trustees. “This report provides inspiring evidence of CAC-funded organizations that are doing remarkable work to deliver on that promise every day.”

The report details how the nearly 200 organizations that Cuyahoga Arts & Culture funds each year are:

Enhancing education, by creating learning opportunities for residents of all ages. CAC-funded organizations serve 1.4 million children through educational experiences such as field trips and in-school programs.

Enriching our quality of life, by funding tens of thousands of events and programs throughout Cuyahoga County. CAC-funded organizations serve nearly six million residents and visitors, and nearly 50% of admissions are free of charge.

Supporting our economy. CAC-funded organizations support Cuyahoga County’s economy through more than $342 million in direct expenditures, including more than $149 million in salaries; and they support nearly 9,000 jobs.

“Public funding for arts and culture is making our community an exceptional place to call home,” said Karen Gahl-Mills, executive director of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. “This report demonstrates that the organizations that CAC funds are providing important educational opportunities for students, making our community more competitive at attracting and keeping talented minds, and improving the overall quality of life for our County’s residents.”

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture’s mission is to inspire and strengthen the community by investing in arts and culture. CAC was approved by Cuyahoga County voters in 2006, and since then, CAC has invested more than $125 million dollars in more than 300 local arts and cultural organizations in Cuyahoga County. CAC’s vision for its first ten years of public funding for arts and culture is to help build stronger, more resilient arts and culture organizations, create vibrant and energetic neighborhoods infused with culture, and establish Cuyahoga County as a hub of creative activity and a destination for artists. For more information about CAC, visit www.cacgrants.org.